“The fishermen did the right thing this morning, raising the alarm when they got into trouble and we were delighted to be able to help them return to shore safely,” he said.

“This was an early morning call-out for our volunteers who got out of their beds to respond to their pagers and make their way to the scene.

“Given where the boat had got into difficulty into Donegal Bay, by the time we reached the scene and towed the vessel safely into Killybegs and made the passage back, our crew had spent 11-and-a-half hours at sea.

“This is what they are trained for and prepared to do but their efforts today are commendable, and I would like to thank our volunteer team for their willingness, time and dedication.”